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Bill Sweatshet is in the room, everybody.
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I'm really happy to see you again.
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I love the fact that um you know, whenever you you release something special, we get a chance to dive into it and just catch up on life and get another postcard and then move on. >> How you been? >> I've been good. I've been busy. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
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>> Putting records out will do that. >> That one.
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And then like >> and family.
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>> And then Yes, there's a baby. >> Yeah. Yeah.
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You're on the you're on the new uh the new balancing act between kind of raising a family and and continuing to raise your passion. >> Yeah, for sure. It's uh it's real.
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Like I'm calibrating right now.
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>> What time did you get up this morning, >> bro? Any time. Any time.
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Pick a time from this morning.
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I was like up at that time a little bit.
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>> The exhaustion is a thing. >> It's real. It's real. It's just hitting me.
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Like I we just did the drop and everything and I was like >> kind of traveling a bit to do press and then uh like pulled up on someone else to do like a show but like >> kind of being in motion. >> Yeah.
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>> Um could distract from like how actually tired I am.
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And like last night I just like I just went home for real.
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Like I just locked it in my crib.
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So I could like like exhale and like >> I still remember how important that sleep was when you lose it.
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You take it for granted as a kid.
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You can't wait to stay up all night and then you have kids and you're like my kingdom for a solid seven hours >> for real. >> Yeah. Seven. Seven is like luxurious.
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>> I remember seven was like >> seven is like wow.
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I'm up as like we can do anything like 7 hours.
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>> You'll get there, man. You'll get there.
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You know, it's a phase in life and at the time it feels super overwhelming.
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I'm I'm going to give you that patronizing dad talk cuz I can cuz I'm way further down the road. But it does.
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You look back on it really fondly.
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>> No, I I love it for sure.
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I'm just trying to figure out like this morning I was trying to figure out how to not be like in the in the details of like the emotions.
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emotions. M of each whale like of each sob of each cry that this baby like every time it's like >> I know >> you're like yo >> it crushes you >> you're like >> I know and they can't tell you really but but you get really good at understanding each other's language that's what's cool about it
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>> that's what's cool about so you the difference in the cries >> and but that's why you be like damn cuz you know the difference so you're like bro like >> well you just got home as well so The cries that really are just like I'm just in a shitty like the baby like I'm just in a shitty mood. Like don't take it
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Like don't take it personal.
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I'm not like I'm not really like having an emotional crisis sound like an emotional crisis to you cuz you've been away.
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So you come in you're just like >> it's my emotional crisis not her emotional crisis.
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It's my emotional crisis when that one is happening.
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>> I think that's the whole thing.
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It really be the test on the parent like where are you at like emotionally? >> Oh for sure.
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Yeah, cuz that's that's >> three years answering that question when I became a dad.
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I was not emotionally there. It took me a while.
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>> You got to you got to fix up look sharp pretty fast. >> Yeah.
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I I think I just talked about it with um the New York Times the other day, but like bro, having to like smile. >> Yeah.
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>> Like for a baby's development, like having to >> And that comes in like cuz you've smiled a few times in my company.
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I always take it as a compliment.
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It makes me feel very very happy when you do. But you're right.
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Sometimes when you're tired or you got going on, you're like, I haven't smiled in the last hour.
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I need to get a smile out. >> Yeah.
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And you're like I I was of the opinion before I learned about the the still face thing.
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I'm like, yo, we got to show these people that this is real.
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We got to show these babies that is real in life. Like I'm your father.
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>> I'm straight facing you. up right now.
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>> I'm straight facing you.
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>> I'm not good right now. We are We getting gas.
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It's a little It's too soon that I think maybe that comes later in life like maybe just force the smile out. >> Yeah, they got force.
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I've never seen a forced smile from you.
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Can you just give me the I can't really force one thing about me. I can't force anything. >> I can't force it.
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>> So, it's got to be real.
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Once I take once I took it in like, oh, for this child's development, then it's a real smile.
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It's not It's like I'm happy as to be not impeding your development. >> Right.
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So you found a purpose that you basically you gave yourself a good purpose to smile. >> Absolutely.
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This is the beauty of being cornered by children into being better. >> Congratulations.
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You've swerved everybody and your kid caught you. Now you're stuck.
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>> Literally >> life gets you eventually.
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>> Got to just be genuinely like pretty chill. >> Live, laugh, love.
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How I mean how prophetic an album title that is.
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And you know, when you started it, it was the irony of society and now it's almost at times the irony of your own life because things are overwhelming and it's like You got to be able to laugh at it.
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I think humor is is a really important part of living even when doesn't seem funny. >> For sure. For sure.
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Um, it's definitely the way out.
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>> I want to get into it, man. 11 songs, 24 minutes.
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I love every single note and every every every second on this record. It's tight.
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And you really made it count the last few years of figuring out what it is that you wanted to say.
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So, I guess the question is when did you start?
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Like, when did you realize that it's not just about creating and and doing it for the moment, but this could be a body of work.
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This could be something I might want to put my name on and put out there.
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When did it take shape or start?
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Um, I I put all of my eggs in the basket of uh uh music.
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So I don't I don't really like leave an option for myself to just like kind of I mean I leave room for myself to just I every day I I have to make music or interact with music >> but I'm definitely am like working with um direction like on all the music I think in a way that I I like haven't before. Mhm.
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>> And so I guess I just say that to say um I always know there's going to be a album.
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I just don't know what it is. Yeah. >> Yeah.
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And then I I kind of wait and listen to myself and hear the things that I'm like interested in and hear the things that are becoming recurring themes and exciting me.
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And then I'm like >> and then I see where the songs are starting to land and like the themes and everything.
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see how they're working with each other.
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See what um pairs of songs I like.
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And then um like with this one, Exhaust was first. >> It's so funny.
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I was about to play that first. >> Yeah.
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>> Cuz to me, it feels like even though it's at the end, it it was almost like a a tribute to the fact that it holds such an important role in this record. >> For sure.
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>> You tell a lot of your truth on that song.
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The music is very nurturing and soulful. >> Mhm. That one.
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Yeah, that one came first and I think it it it like definitely anchored everything and gives in a in a story.
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It's like, okay, we know what now we got the ending. >> Yeah.
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>> And then like let's see. >> Yeah. Yeah.
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Cuz you even you even you even cap it.
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You even say at the end you're like >> at the end of the day.
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>> At the end of the day. >> Yeah. End of the day.
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And then even the title like exhaust like exa like driving off into the sunset like the exhaust pipes like it's like >> and then exhaustion like getting to the end >> at the end of the day it's really just you and whatever you think I'm airmailing you straight. Oh yeah. So there you have it.
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What a beautiful way to finish the album >> for sure.
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>> So there you have it because it's not it's not like this definitive mic drop thing.
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It's a very generous statement. So there you have it.
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If you look at it on paper, it's just a beautiful thing to say to somebody, man.
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But it can also be kind of throwaway, too.
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>> Well, it's if you follow the the words, too.
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The phrase before it is like, I'm airmailing you strength.
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And it's like, so there you have it. >> Yes. It's it's yours. >> Yeah. Like you have it.
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>> I know you rap your ass off, bro. You're a amazing rapper.
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But sometimes when I listen to you in songs, I feel like it's a it's a different kind of pros.
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It's a different kind of approach because I don't feel like you're coming at it with like a hot 32 or a hot 64.
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Sometimes I feel like I'm listening to to a poet.
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Sometimes I feel like I'm listening to just a free thinker or sometimes it doesn't even need to rhyme.
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Sometimes for me >> I'm obsessed with this in a way where I know that I'm a little bit shot out.
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So the things that um kind of excite me are like rule bending things, you know what I mean?
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Or like I forget the other day I was trying to rhyme like Kane Corso and like something really weird. You know what I mean?
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Like I like like doing that You know what I mean?
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Like you know the one interview with Yasine where someone's like nothing rhymes with orange and he's like a lot of things rhyme with orange.
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>> I with like finding things that rhyme with orange. You know what I mean? >> Yeah.
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I also love and this is a 90s throwback.
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I love rappers like Sedar X from Brand Nubian who just didn't used to sometimes finish with a rhyme. >> Yeah.
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>> He'd just go check it out now.
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And he just he just put put a placeholder in.
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It didn't rhyme, but he just say something.
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It sounds so rhythmically. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Prodigy W.
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But a lot of times there's like stuff where it doesn't have to be like a direct like rhyme.
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rhyme. you find the sound in a another word >> or even just the intention >> and then there there's so many it's like a it's definitely a dial and not a switch with that cuz you can have it be like this in between thing or you can be like yeah a Kais solo prodigy sad x like
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>> something almost James Brown like almost just like >> boom it's a statement live with it sit with it when you're actually going through some people just obviously and I've being in rooms with people who feel the energy of something and then they they capture it and they do it line by line or whatever. Um I've never asked
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Um I've never asked you this, man.
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How do how do you actually get it down on paper?
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How do you get it ready to be able to perform?
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Like what's your process of writing?
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Um, I write uh pretty uh I don't I don't like to take up too much space, >> but I know that I'm taking up a lot of space as as a rapper that's like in a studio. You know what I mean?
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Cuz I need the beat to play for a long time.
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So that's taking up a lot of space.
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But I >> just don't loot. >> Exactly.
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But I don't I honestly I don't like to do that.
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I think it's because of where like I think it's embar to be honest.
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I think it's embarrassing like >> to take that time. >> No.
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To when a beat comes on and just start like making noises like real loud. I don't like it.
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Like to I'm not going to lie.
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Like >> I love y'all but I hate that Like start like freestyling real loud.
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This is like, man, some people got it, but me, I'm like, >> I just write like and I kind of whisper to myself and I like get it and then I'll like spend a lot of time kind of performing it to myself once it's written. >> Yeah.
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>> I also have to like pretend like I don't have enough like the whole time. >> Huh.
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Like the whole time I'm like Like >> what does that do to you?
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What does that what how is that a motivator?
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>> It makes it so that by the time I'm finished I'm like bro I got to I like there's not and then I'm then I get to be like oh okay. Oh it's it's right here.
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I got >> It's so funny cuz Okay, let's just get super nerdy from a fan's point of view when I hear your music.
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Sometimes I get mad at you cuz I'm a minute and 27 seconds in and it's done and I'm like but then I realize that's kind of part of the joy of it cuz then I'm like I kind of want to either hear that again or I want to get on to the next thing.
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So it keeps me it's almost like you dot dot dot you know there are people who finish songs it's like done.
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>> I feel like you're always dot dot dot what and then something else is coming something else.
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>> To be honest it's the opposite.
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It's like I find like once it's done it's done.
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That's why the songs be short like that cuz I'm like I'm not about to >> for I can vouch for every single one of these things like after this and it's not just that too.
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I also try to write in a circle. >> Yeah. Yeah. Complete picture.
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So like on some using your own word or like spirit as a divination system for yourself of like okay this is where the idea started now let me explore myself and then if you keep a keen eye you see I've circled back >> like even in rhyme or in concept or whatever >> I've c I've made sense of like that's how you make sense of yourself or of an issue that you're like Okay, >> complete.
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>> You cast the stone and then it's like, okay, made sense of it.
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>> When you think about the how you've done it, the how.
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Let's talk about the how.
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Some of the key steps towards getting yourself into a place where you feel like um you run a tight ship, as you say on this record, and what changes in your life you had to make in order to get there. up like a lot. Like crashing out a lot.
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you gotta crash out and then you gotta lock in like >> pretty much. Um, yeah.
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Everything I've learned on how to be self-aware has been from like being harmed by like not being self-aware. >> Yeah. >> Getting hurt. That's what I mean. Like crashing out. You got to really learn.
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I feel like It's through experience that you learn a lot of that And I feel like it's important to say now, I've heard the term analysis paralysis >> thrown around to describe some of the malady of the young people.
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Um cuz you can read about a lot of stuff or hear about a lot of stuff uh and then think you kind of know about it but you kind of there's experiential knowledge that you that you learn.
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Like you can't really write a poem about burning your hand on the stove if you haven't burned your hand on the stove.
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But you can read about what burning your hand on the stove does and tell someone like, "Yo, if you put your hand on that stove, it's going to burn."
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But the person that put their hand on that stove is going to >> say something a little bit more nuanced. >> Yeah. Yeah.
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It's going to have more feeling. >> Yeah.
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>> And the experience >> and detail.
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>> And detail >> like funny details even like the smell of your hand when it's burning or just like other things that you were thinking about while your hand was burning on.
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It's just a full, like you said, like a complete thought.
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>> The curiosity of life, man, it's it's something that like, >> you know, my biggest fear, especially as I move on and get older in my life, is I'm going to keep telling the same stories >> for sure.
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>> That's my biggest fear is like, man, I've told that story 85,000 times in my lifetime, like, man, I need new stories. >> Yeah.
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But I feel like there's only this is going to be like super annoying, but super There's only really one story like on Earth that gets retold so many different ways, which is like figuring it out. >> Mhm.
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>> Making sense of this Like literally that's that's it everywhere.
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>> Um yeah, you got to have the same story.
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Like you got to have the same stories or else like who are you? Like why?
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Like that's so sketchy if someone just only has brand new different stories all the time. That is crazy.
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>> I do not trust a though. That's crazy.
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>> I just want to add stories.
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>> Yeah, >> I don't mind telling some of the classics.
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I just need to be harsh on what exists inside the cannon.
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It's re it's really I mean you find out about who you are because you pay attention to what themes keep recurring right in your own right conversation >> getting back to that self-awareness and also who you have around you as well.
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I think the who is really important too.
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>> The who who you choose to bring into your life as well for sure.
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>> There's some beautiful reflection on this record and um I don't really talk about relationships too much in my in my job because I focus a lot on music and what inspires the music but there's it's inspiring on this record that you found so you know some grounding and somebody in your life who keeps it honest with you >> for sure.
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So, let's just talk about in tribute, not in any further reason, about the importance of finding someone in your life that's the closest person to you that you want to start a family with, who's going to who sees you for you and doesn't mind calling you out on the that's unacceptable.
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One thing that was liberating for me is that she took an interest into like the details of what I was saying >> like of where she saw and sees where I put all of myself which is into this music And so she like in a way that I hadn't experienced with anybody else really like endeavored to like meet me there and hear me there and like see me there >> and didn't just see you as a an artist or a performer.
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>> Is that what you're saying? >> You respected it.
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>> Actually respected on some like artist to artist It's actually the opposite.
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It was actually like, yo, what what did you say? Hold on. Like where with that?
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That is like not always going to be the case. You know what I mean?
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You going like you're going to see that you're ear beating someone. You know what I mean?
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This is the case of being a of a of a dating musician. You know what I mean? people.
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You could ask people I know their reports are all the same that people that date musicians like >> I don't want to hear this weird demo like >> for the 50,000th time. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
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>> Like that's a love language that she speaks with me. You know what I mean?
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Is music and it's like real.
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She like that it's a real like that she has for it that like made me feel safe and seen and like big. Yeah.
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So, I I did I wanted to say that she definitely challenges me, scared the out of me, like all of that for sure.
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But like she also like loves me really sweetly like in a way that's like not >> complicated or like tough.
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It's just like >> really effusive and like edifying. >> It's beautiful, man.
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Then you get to you get to leave home and know you got this to come back to, which is different. Which is different.
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And on and on, you know, there's a I'm in the house.
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I keep a bag packed by the door.
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I get the signal I'm adios, right?
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And and back then it would have been like, ah, let me get out and play.
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And this is how most artists can me get out and play.
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I want to go out and play some shows, whatever.
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But it's different when you've got something to come back to.
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That's way deeper than it used to be.
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>> That one's interesting that you bring that up cuz those were the first two.
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And those were from before Ida, I think. >> Mhm.
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And I think that sentiment for me was more about the fact that I've that before IDA I I was never really comfortable at at home cuz I knew I was going to have to leave.
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So I would literally just leave like a backpack by the door and so I could like >> not worry about it >> and then just stop like investing in the idea of like that I'm going to be home. You know what I mean?
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>> So when you think about this album now the context of it being finished but being started before you actually had roots both on a human humanity level and on like a physical level um it must feel like a different era for you.
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You must listen to this album now and it just feels like man I was my subconscious my inner voice was really telling me some >> Yeah, it's cool.
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I this one I uh I finally did the thing where my catalog of myself that I'm listening to is like super different from what everyone else is listening to.
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like which is I've feel like a really like again one of the strongest positions I've been in in this So it's cool like I love this is out.
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I made sure to love it and give it everything that it needs so I don't have to worry about it. Like >> job done. On to the next one. >> Yeah.
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I went like I just like went through all of the which I feel like is necessary as an artist.
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Like I don't know if this is going to make sense but like you don't want to be going through what everybody is going through involving you like with them. >> Mhm.
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>> Do you know what I'm saying? It's too weird. It's too much to man.
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It's It's surreal like for you to be trying to process your current real life. >> Yeah.
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>> With the general public. >> Yeah.
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>> Like having my feet down, I guess, or my identity be somewhere else that's not being interacted with is like very nice. Do >> you reflect?
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Are you a reflective person? >> Yeah. for sure.
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But I think because I had old parents that worked in the thing. >> Mhm.
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>> I definitely felt entitled to being older and doing music.
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>> What do you mean by the thing?
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>> Doing art >> and stuff.
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Doing music, poetry, and like this. >> Yeah.
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I I definitely always saw old men doing music a lot.
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So I was like, "Hell yeah." >> Yeah.
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>> This is This is This is some African >> Yeah.
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Make hundred of these things. >> Yeah. It's like not weird. >> It's not weird.
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which is like I feel like needs a megaphone on it for sure because like Dying Young is like super sexy, super hip, you know what I mean?
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>> It's like really from all sides of it.
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Whether you in the ghetto, whether you're in Hollywood, Dying Young is like hot >> for capitalism.
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It's not for anything else. Right.
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And then music relationship with the thing is like so you there's this soft encouragement to definitely >> what's up Jay-Z >> dear Lord >> Dian Young leaving a good looking court. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Oh yeah. >> Park.
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We've seen it a lot over the course of our lives.
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And I think to your point aging in the arts is freeing.
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realizing that really album number 52 is sick. >> It's the point.
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It's the album number 52 is the point when you're like out of your prime >> and you're 52, I think, >> and you're trying to catch up with what these is on that's 17.
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And it's kind of weird, >> but it like kind of works for the ones that weirdly keep up with you cuz their grandpa likes you or whatever.
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You're not supposed to be >> no >> the biggest dude forever, but you definitely can make music forever.
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>> Each to their own, but I like the idea of um >> watching a full arc of someone's life through their art as opposed to just the rise to the top and then a desperate trying to hold on. Yeah. Yeah.
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>> Well, cuz that's a plateau.
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It doesn't matter what the peak is.
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If you don't move, you flatten.
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>> I guess what I'm trying to say is like really interesting and exciting music can be made on the way down >> for sure.
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And then you should probably increase your ups and downs to make more music.
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>> Rapid up and down will create a straight line >> frequency. Yeah. Tight a tight frequency.
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>> Do you get what I'm like becomes less crazy?
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Like if you do this big one drops a long way to go down. So scared. But if you're Yeah. >> I'm dead. I'm Wow. Crazy. I'm dead. Like I'm happy. I'm >> like a baby. >> Yeah. >> Then you're fresh. >> Yeah.
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>> You're just like >> You're saying that all the time right now with your little one. >> I'm really excited. I'm really mad. I'm really hungry. I'm really sleepy.
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>> None of this ma feelings are fleeting.
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>> Feelings doesn't matter. I need to eat. I need I need to sleep. >> Smile at me.
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>> What role does music play in your life when you're not making it? >> All day. >> All day. Every day. >> All day. Every day.
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>> What are you listening to right now?
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I know it's hard to pick names of artists off top.
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this icon on the top of my head, but just a vibe.
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>> I'm listening to 454 a lot.
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Listening to Nante, listening to Atlanta underground stuff >> like B6 and like Rocket and stuff. What else am I? I'm listening to Shab.
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else am I? I'm listening to Shab. you were talking on the podcast that I checked that out and you were saying that like the way the what I took from the from the conversation thread was that we're in a time right now where a certain era
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of artists 10 15 years ago that changed the landscape altered the way that we listened and move with things whether you realize you're doing it or not >> I loved hearing that you accept that you did now and it's amazing that's what
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legacy is what living long life is this what live life laugh is all about right like accepting the good that we and and acknowledging >> but that we that I feel like we're on the verge of like we need another another burst of energy right like it never stops never dies we haven't hasn't
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come to an end but we're on the precipice of something new I feel >> I wouldn't say pre I feel like we're in the eye of the storm of the new >> it's all around there's so much new there's so many new relatively new sounds cuz what I didn't account for. There's cool regional that's like
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There's cool regional that's like that kind of was had gone away for a minute through the homogenity of kind of some slang and stuff and culture and clothes and but reg there's some regionality that's back that's cool that makes you feel the same way in a in a way.
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I think hip-hop has this first generation of truly old people >> now. It's a baby art form.
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So, it has its first 60 year olds, 70 year olds.
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This is his first batch of them.
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>> Well, you heard Kendrick on the Clips Records talking I have to give half my royalties to Rakim.
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I mean, that's a nod to a true original who's now at that point in his life is as no one's ever going to discount the God MC.
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But I mean to your point, God willing going to grow into his old age and see what he created with his friends really kind of alive.
29:10
>> But I feel like it's super while we're talking about them age of people, it's super important I feel like for us as we age to not do this thing of like not understanding each other.
29:28
>> That's like impossible.
29:28
You can't do that or else it like kills the thing or opens it up to like viral infection.
29:34
You got to like the elders have to reach back and endeavor to understand the youth because if they don't then they just turn in to the same old people that they was rebelling against when they was 20 wearing mesh shirts selling crack and like being edgy >> having a Jerry curl gangster rap Like just because it's not the exact same thing don't mean that is not doing their exact same thing.
30:12
So you can't treat like you don't understand who they are or what they're doing.
30:19
I always appreciate when the door opens, you walk in, you bring your truth wherever you are.
30:22
God bless to you and your family.
30:24
Congratulations on uh on becoming a family man.
30:26
It's a it's a beautiful journey, man.
30:29
It's the only journey that really matters.
30:31
>> Thank you, my brother.